My dad is a freak about service and upkeep.
He is the sort of guy who fills out warranty cards for everything he buys.
He is the guy who cleans up the kitchen as soon as he finishes eating, every single meal. I don’t mean any of this is a negative way, it’s just amazing to me because I am 100% not like that at all. He takes immaculate care of his car, his lawn, and his home, and is constantly busy with some chore or another. Because of this, the things he owns last for a ridiculous amount of time. His air conditioner is the same one I had when I was a kid, which makes it well over 25 years old. This is unheard of for an air conditioner of that time period! I asked him how he did it, and he said that he only turned on the AC a few times a year, either on a brutally hot day or if he had company coming over. He could go for weeks at time without touching the thermostat, which is insane to me! On top of that, he had the entire system inspected and tested by an HVAC tech once a year, even if he didn’t need it. The whole system was immaculate from top to bottom, and even the air vents and ductwork was sparkling clean. He told me he didn’t use it enough to warrant buying a new air conditioner if this one broke, so he wanted to make sure it lasted the rest of his life.